Staten Island Advance/Anthony DePrimoDebi Rose and some of her supporters (above, at her Concord headquarters) are ecstatic as they learn Ms. Rose had pulled ahead of incumbent Kenneth Mitchell in the Democratic primary for the North Shore City Council seat. Ms. Rose's margin of victory was 4,656 votes, or 55 percent, to 3,344 votes, or 39 percent.

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Community activist Debi Rose moved a step closer to becoming the first black elected official in Staten Island history after a stunning upset of City Councilman Kenneth Mitchell in the North Shore Democratic primary Tuesday night.

With 100 percent of the vote in, Ms. Rose had 4,656 votes, or 55 percent, to Mitchell's 3,344, or 39 percent, according to The Associated Press.

Rajiv Gowda finished with 510 votes, or 6 percent.

"How wonderful this moment is for all of the North Shore!" Ms. Rose told more than 100 ecstatic supporters at her Concord campaign headquarters.

Mitchell, who remains in office, is still on the Conservative line in the race and vowed to fight on to November.

"It goes without saying that we are disappointed in tonight's results," Mitchell said at R.H. Tugs, Livingston. "This is not the end. This is the beginning. We have more work to do."

THIRD TIME THE CHARM
It is Ms. Rose's third try for the heavily Democratic Council seat. She lost a Democratic primary in 2001 and finished second to Mitchell in a February special election.

"I started this journey a long time ago, in 2001," Ms. Rose told supporters. "I did not do this alone. This victory is yours. I would not be here without you."

Ms. Rose, of Arlington, said she campaigned right up until the polls closed at 9 p.m.

"We didn't want to leave anything to chance," she said.

Ms. Rose, who was a Barack Obama presidential delegate last year, is also backed in the race by the Working Families Party.

Rose supporters cried out, "Obama in the house, baby!" "Hallelujah!" and "Thank you, Jesus!" as the results came in last night.

When told that Mitchell would fight on, Ms. Rose said, "It means I will have to continue to fight for the issues that are important to all of us."

Ms Rose said she "never approached this race as an African-American or as a woman, but as a progressive human being."

She said, "It is momentous for the [black] community, but I will be able to represent all communities on Staten Island."

FEMININE TRIFECTA?
If Ms. Rose wins in November, it would be the first time in Island history that the borough would have three female lawmakers serving it at the same time. State Sen. Diane Savino (D-North Shore/Brooklyn) and Assemblywoman Janele Hyer-Spencer (D-East Shore/Brooklyn) are the others.

"As I tell everyone, I am the Democratic chairman and I support Democratic candidates," he told the Advance. "I'll have to talk to my executive committee."

After Gulino spoke to the crowd, Rose supporters chanted, "The North Shore united."

"Turn the page," said Sollazzo.

FAULTS COMPLACENCY
Mitchell chalked up his loss to complacency among his base voters.

"Lots of folks thought that as I was the incumbent, they didn't need to come out to vote," he said. "Now they know they need to come out and vote."

Mitchell was one of several Council incumbents who lost in the city last night. He is the first sitting lawmaker to lose a primary here since GOP South Shore Assemblyman Robert Straniere in 2004.

Mitchell congratulated Ms. Rose during his formal remarks, and later said he planned to call her today.

Mitchell was backed by the Democratic county committee in the race, and had the support of Rep. Michael McMahon (D-Staten Island/Brooklyn), Conservative Borough President James Molinaro and Democratic elected officials.

McMahon and Molinaro could not be reached for comment last night.

SAVINO BACKS ROSE
Ms. Savino said she would support Ms. Rose in November.

"I'm a Democrat," she said at Tugs. "I support the winner of the Democratic primary, even when it's somebody I didn't back in the primary."

Assemblyman Matthew Titone (D-North Shore) said he would speak to Ms. Rose before making a decision.

"I'll take a little time," he said.

"Whatever Kenny decides, I'll stand with him," said Assemblyman Michael Cusick (D-Mid-Island). "He's moving forward to November. I take that into consideration."

In addition to turning out more Democrats, the Mitchell camp is hoping to pick up Republican as well as Conservative votes in the general election. GOP and Conservative votes helped fuel his February win.

But party insiders conceded last night that it would be difficult to convince hard-core Democrats to cast ballots on the Conservative line.

Air Force veteran Timothy Kuhn is the GOP candidate in the general election.
-- Contributed by Tom Wrobleski and Judy L. Randall